SC asked to stop P1-B Boracay reclamation projectBY SOPHIA DEDACE, GMA News
A Boracay-based group on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to prevent the Aklan government from proceeding with the construction of a 40-hectare reclamation site between Boracay Island and the coastal village of Caticlan.
In a 35-page petition, the Boracay Foundation Inc. (BFI) asked the high tribunal to issue a temporary environmental protection order (TEPO) to stop the P1-billion project which has supposedly adverse impact on the environment.
The group, composed of some 160 businessmen and residents on Boracay Island, also asked the SC to compel Aklan to conduct a comprehensive environmental impact assessment.
"The actions of [the Aklan provincial government] clearly endanger the already frail ecological balance in Boracay. Any further actions to reclaim land in Caticlan and Boracay without the proper comprehensive environmental impact assessment shall cause grave and irreparable injury to the area," said the petitioners.
They added: "Boracay Island, with its status as the country's premier tourist spot, as well as for its surrounding coral reefs and mangroves, had been declared an environmentally critical area (ECA) as early as 1981. As such, any project undertaken in the area requires the performance of a comprehensive environmental impact assessment."
GMA News Online tried to reach the office of Aklan Gov. Carlito Marquez for comment, but it could not be contaced as of posting time.
The reclamation project has two components: 36.82 hectares on Caticlan in mainland Aklan, and 3.18 hectares on Boracay island. Caticlan and Boracay are located in Malay town in Aklan. Image courtesy of Marine Environmental Resource Foundation and the UP Marine Science InstituteCiting a study conducted by marine biologists from the Marine Environmental Resource Foundation and the University of Philippines' Marine Science Institute, the foundation also said the project will affect the current and flow of the tides between Caticlan and Boracay and may cause further erosion of the sands on the island, a premier tourist spot in the Philippines.
The reclamation project has two components: 36.82 hectares on Caticlan in mainland Aklan, and 3.18 hectares on Boracay island. Caticlan and Boracay are located in Malay town in Aklan. Image courtesy of Marine Environmental Resource Foundation and the UP Marine Science InstituteCiting a study conducted by marine biologists from the Marine Environmental Resource Foundation and the University of Philippines' Marine Science Institute, the foundation also said the project will affect the current and flow of the tides between Caticlan and Boracay and may cause further erosion of the sands on the island, a premier tourist spot in the Philippines.
In their petition, the BFI also claimed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) gave the project its green light by giving the Aklan government an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) even if the latter has failed to submit the necessary requirements, such as the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) or Programmatic Environmental Report and Management Plan (PERMP).
"[The Aklan provincial government's] scheming machination to circumvent the regulations governing the issuance of an ECC for development projects are manifested by its failure to submit a PEIS and/or PEPRMP in applying for the ECC over phase 1 of the reclamation project," the foundation said.
The petitioners added that the Aklan government failed to consult with the local government units (LGUs) and other stakeholders before the start of the project, which local officials from Malay town and Caticlan village have strongly opposed. "Not only is the implementation of the reclamation project in violation of the laws pertaining to EIS [environmental impact statement] but, likewise, violates the most basic principles enshrined in the Local Government Code," they said.
"That Respondent Province [Aklan] was denied a favorable endorsement by the LGUs concerned – the Malay Municipality and Barangay Caticlan – stems from the failure of Respondent Province to enter into consultations with the aforementioned LGUs. Likewise, the Liga ng mga Barangay-Malay Chapter also expressed strong opposition against the reclamation project," they added. — RSJ, GMA News
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI am a native Aklanon who strongly opposed the reclamation project.Why don't we just leave Boracay as it is and concentrate on other projects like improving the road conditions inside Kalibo. kalibo as Aklan's capital town need more attention from our government officials esp. from the Governor and the congressman. What happened to the flood control project in Kalibo??? Tag-ulan ron man ag medyo owa gid it nakit-an ro mga tawo iya sa Kalibo sa project to control flooding around Kalibo town. Another thing, Why don't we just improve our Kalibo Airport facility? Tan-awa ro restroom ina sa Airport indi bagay sa International standard. Congested man gihapon ro Airport ag owa it masyadong lingkuran sa pre-departure area. Sana I-improve muna ang worse conditions ng Kalibo dahil ito ang capital ng Aklan at mirror ng Boracay dahil ro mga turista nga halin sa Airport paagto sa Boracay hay ga-agi man sa Kalibo. Tignan natin ang kalsada... Napakaliit. Kailan kaya i-expand ang mga kalsadahon iya sa Kalibo para owa man it masyadong traffic??? Lubak lubak pa.On the latest census, Aklan is among the poorest province in the entire region 6 and who knows, the entire Philippines as well. Ano man bara raya nga ra? Imbis nga mag-uswad ro Aklan esp. Kalibo hay medyo naga-paidaeom ron kita. Tama ron konta ro isaeang International Airport para ro pondo it probinsya hay ma budget man ag ma distribute sa mga tawo. Wake up people of Aklan!!! Tama kaya ang pag elect naton sa mga officials ng Aklan??? Bato bato sa langit naway huwag tamaan at magalit dahil ito ang totoo masakit man. Saeamat gid nga abo!
So be it...just forget Kalibo airport and develop a new International Airport in Ibajay or in Malay. Wala na pag-asa ang Kalibo. Masyado nang masikip ang Kalibo at wala nang pag-asa sa baha...
ReplyDeleteWalang pag-asa??? Ang Kalibo ay may pag-asa pa pag pinagtuunan ng pansin lang ng ating mga namamahala sa Aklan. Minsan iniisip ko, kaya gusto ng Governador ng Aklan na ituloy ang reclamation sa Malay at Boracay dahil taga doon siya at gusto niya umasenso lang ang banwa niya kaya balewala lang ang Kalibo. We don't want a second typhoon frank that will hit Kalibo again. Ang kalibo ang sentro ng komersyo ng Aklan and without Kalibo, mas marami pa ang magugutom diyan sa Aklan.What a shame that Aklan was among the poorest on the entire Visayas region. Tignan ninyo ang Antique, Mabilis na ang pag-asenso dahil magaling ang namamahala doon di kagaya sa Aklan. Pag na erase sa map ng Pilipinas ang Boracay dahil dito sa reclamation project na ito, paano na ang Aklan??? Saan pupulutin ang mga Aklanons? Mag migrate na lang sa Iloilo o kayay Capiz at Antique dahil itong mga probinsyang ito ang maunlad at maraming trabaho. Ito'y kuro kuro ko lamang to wake up the Aklan government dahil di pa huli ang lahat. Taga Aklan ka rin at huwag mong sabihing pabayaan na lang ang Kalibo dahil ang Kalibo ay parte ng Aklan.Sana mabigyan ng governement of Aklan ng descent living ang mga Aklanons. Sana sulitin naman ng pamunuan ng Aklan ang binabayad na taxes ng mga Aklanons sa pagpapagawa ng nararapat. Maraming salamat sa mga nakabasa nito at please lang pakikalabit na lang ang mga namumuno sa Aklan na bilis bilisan naman ang pag implement ng mga projects kung meron man???
ReplyDeleteThe Governor of Aklan is from Banga, the adjacent town of Kalibo...Anyway,paano pa nga pag tutuunan ng pansin ng pansin ang Kalibo e wala nga pondo ang gobyerno? The government must prioritize its infrastructure project given its limited resources. The town of Kalibo particularly the Poblacion is already below the sea level or the Aklan river, I should say. This is according to the latest findings of experts from NAMRIA. So instead of pouring the precious resources of government to any useless infrastructure project in Kalibo , magdevelop na lang ng bagong business center ang Aklan. Ano pa ang gagawin sa Kalibo? Tatambakan para tumaas? Needless to say that, mabuhay na nga sentro it Aklan ang Kalibo pero owa man gihapon it asenso ro Aklan and it is already a decaying town..Bugtaw Aklanon!! Ro nagabuwi man lang sa Aklan hay ro Boracay ag banwa it Malay!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for you input. I appreciate it. And thanks for giving me same insight about the origin of the Governor of Aklan. Well, ano pa ba ang magagawa natin but to wait sa paglubog ng Kalibo. We will just prepare ourselves for the second coming of Frank that will ultimately hit kalibo soon for this coming rainy season. Sana sa next elaction, Aklanons will elect a good government officials to lead Aklan forward. For progress and for sustainable jobs para wala na magutom sa Aklan. Aklan at this time was rated recently as among the Poorest Province in Region 6 and of whole country. Would you beleived that says the Governor aired over DYRU radio station. Marami mga projects ang sinasabi over Governor's report to the people every end of the month pero ang mga taga Aklan ay wala namang nakikita except for the reclamation project sa Malay at Boracay. Sana naman tama ang provincial government over this reclamation project. What if the UP Scientist are correct??? Then the world's famous Boracay will be wiped out on the map. Time to wake up Aklanons!!! Time to act aggressively!!!
ReplyDeleteCorrect!! Wala na tayong tayong magagawa but to wait sa paglubog ng Kalibo..Pero maskin ano pa nga election sa aton basta may kuwarta si Gov at Congressman sanda man gihapon o ra anda nga kapamilya ro madaog!! Qua Vadis Aklan?
ReplyDeleteyung reclamation ay puro lang naman sa provincial government. ang kita ng caticlan at ng boracay ay napunta sa eastern side of aklan like kalibo. pati sweldo sa caticlan-cagban jetty port delayed. maskin halin pa sa caticlan ang kwarta hay guina hatod anay sa capitol ag taw an lang dayon ang empleyado sa caticlan jetty port it nabilin. pirmi pa nga delayed.
ReplyDeletepalubog na nga ang kalibo. ano pa ang gagawin mo? maglagay ng katulad sa united kingdom na may dike at 24 oras naga pump out ng tubig? what a waste of money. face it, bakit ka gagastos sa isang proyekto na magastos na at ang pakinabang ay maliit lang?
poorest province ang aklan? grabe ka naman. parang di ko malunok ang sinasabi mo. taga aklan din po ako MANANG. Pumupunta nga dito ang taga ibang probinsya para dito manirahan at maghanap buhay. dito pa sa aklan makikita ang magarbong fiesta na kung saan halos lahat ng bahay ay may handaan. saan pang probinsya ang may ganyan?
ReplyDeleteTourism ang major source of income ng aklan,kaya pinagtuunan nila ng pansin ang reclamation project.Secondary na lang ang rice farming & etc.Kung matuloy man yan sana pagtuunan nila ng pansin ang mga 4th & 5th class municipalities e.g improve the district hospital e.g ibajay hospital.Mapapansin natin na marami-rami na rin yung mga bahay na malalaki along our way going to caticlan at karamihan sa mga may-ari nyan ay mga OFW,Seaman.Hindi yan katas ng boracay.On the first place apektado yung mga neighborhood town ng malay sa mga presyo ng bilihin kung pag uusapan, mataaas ang presyo ng bilihin at konti lang ang nakapagtrabaho sa boracay saka seasonal ang trabaho sa boracay.Mostly mga politician sa aklan akyat-baba lang sa pwesto.Huwag lang sa boracay sana nakasentro ang local na pamahalaan, dahil lahat ng bagay ay may katapusan.Madalang ka na lang makakakita ng matinong politician.Noon ang tao ang maglalagay sayo sa puwesto ngayon ang tao ang binibigyan ng lagay para ilagay sila sa puwesto.Sana huwag gamitin yung income ng reclamation para sa susunod na election.maraming mga liblib na barangay sa aklan na nangangailangan ng tulong medical, at farm to market road.Just imagine meron mga road accident an minsan hindi kaya ng hospital dahil sa kakulangan ng facilities dadalhin pa sa kalibo or iloilo mabubuhay kapa ba nyan ang daan masikip ang maluwag lang simula ng nabas pa caticlan.ang aklan forum journal ay isang paraan para makakuha rin ng idea yung mga politicians sa mga simpleng mamamayan na katulad ko.Sana pagbalik ko sa aklan wala na akong nakikitang bata na walang shorts kundi nakadamit lang.
ReplyDelete